Elected to the EU Parliament – Sibylle Berg: “I am in favour of the EU joining Switzerland”

Translated Article:

>__The German satirical party “Die Partei” received 1.9 percent of the vote in last Sunday’s EU elections. This means that the party has two representatives: Together with the satirist, EU critic and long-standing member of parliament Martin Sonneborn, Sibylle Berg will now also be involved in politics in Strasbourg and Brussels.__

>__SRF: Ms. Berg, did you expect to be elected to the EU Parliament?__

>Sibylle Berg: No, absolutely not. Just as I did not expect to win the Swiss Book Prize. I always assume that nothing will come of it. When it does work out, it is always a big surprise.

>__You want to end “surveillance fascism” – what do you mean by that?__

>Working in the EU is actually a continuation of my activist work. I try to explain cyberspace to people, this virtual world in which we have long been living.

>I want to show the population what is behind all these complicated terms such as “data retention” or “chat control”. The decisions made by the EU in recent years in the area of ​​cyberspace and the placing of the population under suspicion are devastating.

>__Is that your only concern?__

>It may sound a bit strange, but I also want to start a project of hope. The governments offer little hope in dealing with the multiple disasters. There are many people who are doing great research, for example on the subject of peace. I want to give these scientists a greater voice – with the resources of the EU. We have to sow hope. Panic does not help.

>__You are going into parliament for “The Party”. This is considered a joke party. In your election manifesto you are calling for a cap on beer prices, among other things. Are you serious?__

>Have you read through the other election manifestos and seen what is being implemented? Our election manifesto is above all a satire on all these election promises, very few of which are kept.

>I ran for “The Party” because it combines serious concern and activism with humor. This includes a whole team of people who do very good work, but who are often kept quiet because it annoys many people. Martin Sonneborn has done a lot of educational work about the EU that no one else does. That should actually be the job of the media.

>__You are a German-Swiss dual citizen. Are you in favor of Switzerland joining the EU?__

>No, I would be in favor of Switzerland joining the EU. Our form of direct democracy may have its shortcomings because many voting battles are decided by money and PR. But otherwise I think the system in our country is excellent. The EU, on the other hand, is a representative democracy that is heavily influenced by lobby groups and is primarily an economic union.

>Decisions are made by a massive national conservative bloc. The EU would have Switzerland for breakfast.

>__Are you using your entry into the EU Parliament as research for a new book?__

>I don’t think so. I will certainly make films, speak and write texts as part of my work, but I am not writing an EU book. That would be a bit boring, wouldn’t it? That is the current situation.